Opening Doors
by Krys33
Summary: Mimi opens the doors that April closed. MimiRoger, one shot.


**Title:** Opening Doors  
**Author:** Krystal (livejournal user **krys33**)  
**Feedback:** Loved and adored with every fiber of my being. However, if you wish to flame, I'd like to hear what you thought was bad so I can fix it!  
**Pairing:** Roger/Mimi, past April/Roger mentioned  
**Word Count:** 571  
**Rating:** PG  
**Genre:** Drama/Angst  
**Summary:** Mimi opens the doors that April closed.  
**Notes:** Oh, the fun I had writing this! I hope you enjoy reading it just as much. It was going to be longer, but a spur-of-the-moment to go see a musical with a friend cut my writing time short. Written for speed rent challenge #139.  
**Special Thanks:** Jonathan Larson, obviously. :)  
**Spoilers:** 'Light My Candle,' and 'Another Day,'  
**Disclaimer:** Nope, they're still not mine. 

--

On that night, opportunity knocked.

Literally.

With a few simple taps, one Mimi Marquez opened doors that had long ago been shut on him quite forcefully by a feisty redhead.

She revealed the chance for him to go back to some not-so-good things. She brought with her drugs, and an uncanny resemblance to April when she smiled.

That couldn't be good, he told himself. She'll end up the same way. Better not to get attached.

But she also brought along an excuse to finally get his sorry ass out of the loft.

Mark would love that, wouldn't he? He'd been hiding himself away for far too long, and everyone but himself knew it.

Most importantly, though, was a door she opened that remained concealed in the shadows, hiding in the background.

She gave him chance to love again, to open his heart.

He was surprised by this especially.

As cliché and cheesy as it sounded, back then, he'd thought April was 'the one'.

Until she'd left him to fend off disease alone, leaving only a ragged piece of paper and a bloodstained bathtub in her wake.

After that, he hadn't thought love was possible anymore.

He convinced himself quite thoroughly that love was a lie, thought up by companies like Hallmark and Disney to make money. Love was a scheme, not an emotion or a once in a lifetime experience.

But when those locked up doors were somehow broken open on that cold, dark Christmas Eve, all of those cynical thoughts flew right out of them as the opportunities flew in.

She kept coming on to him, ignoring his rebuffs.

This was not only a chance for him; it was one for her, too.

In the end, though, she left alone. But she was confident that she had made an impression.

She was certain he'd never forget her.

--

He didn't forget.

He moped around the loft even more than usual, thinking that he'd let his only chance to get back to _life_ had passed him by.

But she returned that evening with her moonlit hair, her shining brown eyes, and her April-like smile.

The fact that he'd decided to tear down the walls he'd built around himself disappeared from his mind the second he saw her. And the longer he looked at her, the more frightened and worried he became.

He couldn't be falling for her. He just couldn't.

It would force him to relive all those memories he'd been trying so hard to forget. He couldn't go through that again. He didn't have it in him.

This time, though, she arrived with a desperate, longing air about her that almost made her irresistible.

Almost.

She argued with him, pleading.

_'There is no future, there is no past'_

Oh, how he wished that were true. But all the emotions she stirred within him were too hard to ignore.

_'We must let go to know what's right.'_

He wanted to let go so badly. He really did. But he was worried.

_'There's only now. There's only here. Give in to love, or live in fear.'_

The fear overpowered the love. He couldn't help it. He'd lost April, and he just wasn't ready for that to happen again.

So he pushed her away once more, countering her cries of _'No day but today!'_ with a loud, simple pair of words:

_'Another day!'_

He retreated inside, defeated.

Would he ever get this opportunity again?

--

**End**


End file.
